If a report isn’t ‘wrong’, surely it must be ‘right’?

23 September 2009

The threat of war between India and China has still not receded but the battle between unnamed home ministry sources continues relentlessly.

Caught in the crossfire: journalists.

First, The Hindu reported, quoting unnamed home ministry sources, that the government was contemplating filing a first information report against two journalists of The Times of India for a “wrong” report on two Indian soldiers being injured in firing by the Chinese in Sikkim.

Then, The Indian Express gleefully repeated the claim, again quoting unnamed home ministry sources.

Now, Press Trust of India reports, quoting unnamed home ministry sources, that “top officials” of the government has decided to “let it go”.

Questions: Has the Indian government seen the writing on the wall and climbed down? Or, was there no such attempt to file a complaint in the first place? If the FIR against the “wrong” report is not being filed, are we to conclude that the report was “right”?

Which means, were Indian soldiers injured in Chinese firing?

Which means, is the situation on “the longest disputed border in the world” far from normal?